A Dancer's Pride

I was hanging out by myself on the pier writing down some ideas for new projects while reading the newspaper. This particular pier in New York City is very quiet and comforting. I can walk on it and instantly feel like I’m in peace. So when I feel I need some peace and quiet, I will come to this pier and get exactly what I’m looking for.

While lying in the grass I began hearing footsteps. I looked up and there was this half naked dark skinned male strutting down the walkway side of the pier. He didn’t have a shirt on. I could see his boxers. It was quite an unexpected thing to look at when all you wanted to do was enjoy some quiet time on the beach.

He left the pier for a few minutes. I thought I was away from him forever. Then I began to hear a group of French men sitting behind me talking about a man strutting on the other walkway on the same pier. I turned around and there was the same dancer I saw before still strutting. He wasn’t the least bit tired. There was a moment when he stopped and posed in front of the couple. Then he continued his way down the walkway.

For most people, they would look at that person and say that he is making a fool out of himself. No one finds him interesting and all he’s doing is looking for attention. That’s not how I felt when I saw the dancer. I looked at him as a confident person who was going to be with him without a care in the world of what everyone thinks of him. If he wants to strut down the walkway like a shirtless model, he will do it.

Its unusual situations like this dancer that influences me to live the life I truly want to live. I never let others try and control my life neither do I let society define. I do whatever I want with my life and will continue to have pride in it.

Three Things I Already Love About New York City

It’s been officially two months since this individual named Roque Caston has moved to living his life in New York City. That person is me.

I first want to say that there is no city like New York City. Even though it’s been two months, I feel like I married the city in record breaking time. I went through the emotional love-hate relationships that the average New Yorker has with this city. I fought through and it just proved that I’m here to stay in the city.

So because of my love for this city, I like to share three things I like about New York. This is through the eyes of a New York rookie.

Walking Equals Exploring

You can never get bored of this city. Because of the fact that it’s a big city, there are so many things you can explore around this city. I remember getting tired of one particular side of the city and wanted to explore more. Then once I started walking up a few more blocks and onto a new Avenue, I found myself being inspired by the city again. So even though you get tired of one section of the city, there are plenty more explorations you can do. A friend of mine still surprises me that he knows every single borough of New York and he’s only twenty-eight years old.

The Diverse Citizens

I’m not afraid to admit that I sometimes spy on people. When I’m walking down the street and I hear someone having an interesting conversation on their phone, I get as close as I can to listen. I even look at the ones sitting down and see how they interact with each other. From lawyers in their business suits to the casual family having a slice of pizza at the park, I’m so intrigued at the variety of characters that are living in this city. It’s like a sitcom episode on every block, no matter if it’s good or bad.

Pizza, Pasta, And Bread

I couldn’t resist talking about this. I love Italian food and I’m so glad New York City is extreme with those foods too. I love those one dollar pizza shops that you see on a block every now and then. I love to see the variety of marinara sauces on display at grocery stories. And finally, I love The Bread Factory. They sure as hell make some of the best bread I’ve ever had in my life. This is probably one of the main reasons why I’m staying in New York City forever.

I can’t express enough how happy I am to be living in the city of my dreams. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. Now that we’re here, I’m happy to be here. Time to explore more! Go New York City!

A Smile For The Aspiring Actress

Yesterday, I was walking towards Bryant Park to get to the Mid-Manhattan Library in order to get some work done. It was a day full of meetings and bookings. Going to this library was a time when I could finally have some time for myself before I return to my rock 'n' roll world. I love being a fun person, but there are moments when I need some alone time. This party monster right here needs his pizza, sweet tea, and a chair before he gets back out there again.

Three blocks away, my focus was interrupted by a female talking loudly on her phone behind me. I was doing my best to ignore her, but the constant loud outbursts made it hard for me to ignore this female. I got a little nosy and began listening to her phone conversation. I had enough time to waste listening to this female going through her moment on the phone.

Listening carefully to her, I began to realize that she was an aspiring actress who just found out she got the part in an upcoming sitcom. She got so excited she called her best friend, which was the person she was on the phone with at that moment. Her best friend was the first person she wanted to call after she got off the phone with the casting director.

She was expressing to her friend how she got the job and how she was going to continue working on building a relationship with the casting director. That way, it will possibly lead to more work in television at the moment. She wants to do films and theater as well, but she is gearing towards television mostly.

She eventually ended her phone conversation and skipped into Bryant Park to resume her life as an actress on the ride.

As I saw her dance away into the park, I couldn't help but to smile for her. I was so excited that she got news that she was given the chance to do what she wants to do, especially in New York City where you're facing tons of competition in the acting field. That fact alone made me think of how much she had to work for that role in the upcoming sitcom.

Looking at her made me think of myself. I have a smile on my face because I'm finally here. I'm in New York City following my dreams of becoming a successful, critically acclaimed writer, blogger, and journalist. I've thought about this dream for a long time. Now that I'm here and I'm actually doing it at twenty years old. There's no feeling like it.

So I'm happy for that actress because it reminds me of why I'm here and why I'm always smiling. I hope everyone else is smiling for that actress and themselves. If you're living the life you want to live then I know you're smiling.

More Male Stories Need To Be Told In Literature

This is something that has been on my mind for a long time now. As a writer, I can't help but think about this subject on a daily basis. Now that I am working on my own projects, this is beginning to come up in my head surreptitiously.


Aside from going to cafes and beach houses, I love going to libraries. I love walking around, seeing constant pieces of literature hanging on the shelves. From one writer to the another, it's just amazing see the work of numerous writers. It's not just something great to look at, but it's also a reminder for myself. It reminds me everyday of who I am and what I want to see in the future. I'm still waiting for that day to come when I see my first published book on a shelf somewhere. It just gives me happiness mentioning something like this.


However, one thing appears to always disappoint me. When I look at a shelf, I'm always looking for a real male story. Everyone knows what I'm talking about. The book where it takes on the everyday life of the everyday man. A male oriented dramedy or romantic comedy with a male protagonist carrying the story to the last page. I know they are there, but it's being overpopulated by female protagonists and stories by 98% when it comes to telling those kinds of stories.


The only time I see these male characters is when I find them in detective, thriller, and horror novels. Even though that is amazing, it's still kind of putting our male characters in a bubble. We have to show that men are not just strong built, brave, and gutsy men who knows how to take control of the situation. We have to show that men go through their everyday lives just like a woman. Some of them are fun. Some of them are heart wrenching. Some can be both. We have to show that men has feelings too. We can laugh, cry, hate, love, and every other emotion just like women.


I have nothing but love and respect for female writers. I love all of their stories and the strong females they've created. I can sit in bed and read a book by Emily Giffin, Marian Keyes, Jennifer Weiner, Kristin Hannah, Candace Bushnell, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sophie Kinsella all over again, and still love them the same way. Everyone that knows me is aware that I love romantic comedies. But as a man, I'm looking for the stories I see when it comes to my life. I want to see a buddy story with two men. I want to see literature become more masculine.


As a writer, I want to walk into a library where I see my stories being displayed. Either written by me or another writer, I hope to see it real soon.

Is The Best Friend Allowed To Date?

Everyone has that best friend in their life. It's that person that does everything for you? He/She is the first person you call at three o'clock in the morning. Shockingly, they will answer the phone. If you have a friend like that you are a lucky person.

They have been in your life for the longest. But the one thing I've noticed is that the best friend is hardly in a relationship due to the fact that they current relationship he/she deals with is the one with the best friend. Whenever the best friend gets out of a relationship, you are there to heal the wounds and telling them to move on. You treat your role as the best friend as if it is a career.

Of course it isn't a career, but you begin to think it is because you spend more time with them than you with your own life. Then it finally reaches a point when your life surrounds it completely. Once it's finally time for you to start dating it's very difficult.

After realizing this with not only others, but my own personal and professional life, it got me thinking.

Is the best friend allowed to date when their lives surrounds being the true companion?

Is Watching Pornography Considered Cheating?

One day, I decided to help out a friend of mine that is the executive director of a community center he runs. I never turn down helping a friend, especially when it's someone I've met since I was five years old. I was in charge of checking kids in and out at the front desk. That alone was my sugar rush.

Suddenly, another friend of mine happened to walk by. He is an exterminator that checks the place out once a month. This was my first time seeing him in months. Let's call him Henry.

After getting extremely excited over seeing each other, we decided to talk about what we were going through. I talked to him about my upcoming projects, which was a very long list at the time of the conversation. He ended up talking about his love life. I don't understand how I am to get that out of people. I never intended on being the person that anyone can talk to. I just happen to end in that position there because I am easy person to talk to, and I am a braniac with a capital B.

I told him these numerous stories that ended up in numerous questions. What I mean by that is every time we finished a sentence, it always ended up asking ourselves a question regarding our everyday lives. Because of my background work as a self-help guru, Henry couldn't help but to ask me something that he needed advice on.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Go right ahead," I responded.

"If you are watching porn, are you cheating on your spouse?"

All of sudden, everything just froze. It was like my clock of life was completely frozen. My mind was revolving around that entire question. Once everything didn't look frozen anymore I started giving him numerous different answers, so that I could avoid questioning myself at that moment.

Later that day, the question kept on popping in my mind. We are now at a point in our lives where everyone has porn in their house. Even though there are still some debates about the billion dollar industry, it is admittingly part of our everyday lives. There are some couples that play the tapes in order to give them an extra rush while there are some couples that considers it very offensive to have it on during their own sexual activities. But is there a time when you press play and starts watching yourself, you are mentally picturing yourself having sex with someone else and not with your significant other?

When it comes to relationships is watching pornography considered cheating?

Does Anyone Get Over High School?

I am currently reading a novel entitled "Best Friends Forever" by Jennifer Weiner. It took only the summary of the novel for me to get interested in this story. I can relate to this thing easily.

In this novel, it talk about the lives of two girls who has been best friends since they were nine years old. Then come to their teenage years. Betrayal kicks in. In the midst of it all, one of them became the outcast while the other one is swept away into the popular crowd. So in this novel, you get to see what was the became the end of their friendship, and how they each changed fifteen years later, around the time of their high school reunion.

The second I started reading it got me thinking about everyday life. We can be the most successful people in the world. We can have billions of dollars with millions of people adoring us because of our creativity. But in the core of it all, we will never forget that we used to be the outcast. No one cared about us at the time. No one didn't care about our creativity.

Then once you become successful those same people that once rejected you from high school are now spending over $300 of their money just to spend some time with you in the VIP section. It's like they never knew they used to pick on you. They have smiles on their face, spending time with you because they either like you as a person, or like you because you are rich.

Once you walk out of that high school door for the last time, you are more excited than you have ever been. However, you will never forget what the school has done to you. It's like high school left you an invisible scar on your back and you will never get it off.

When it comes to life does anyone get over high school?

Never Settle For A Good Enough Relationship

One of the lessons I've learned from being single for a year is that I never have to settle for a good enough relationship. You know what I'm talking about when I say good enough relationships.

When it comes to being with someone most people are scared to be alone. Some are extremely dependent on being in a relationship. They don't want to live the single life for too long. They really want to be with someone. Due to that, they settle for a good enough relationship. It's a relationship where you know it's not going anywhere, but you choose to stay in it because you don't want to be by yourself.

It's actually much worse than a dysfunctional relationship.

For a dysfunctional relationship, there are everyday problems that will surprise you all the time. However, you will do your best to compromise on a daily basis. A good enough relationship is a relationship that is obviously going nowhere, but you decide to accept it. You've accepted the fact you will never be accepted completely by the other person and vice versa. You've accepted that things are never going to change. You've accepted that you are going to be completely happy.

I remember being absolutely dependent on relationships during my teenage years. I was looking for love because I wasn't getting it from my friends or family. This one particular guy I dated was my obvious guy. He was into the performing arts. He loved sex as much as I do. He never wanted to leave me. I never wanted to leave him.

However, it was never good from the beginning. We were living in different worlds. I was the boy next door who was too focused on work and not partying with a group of people. He was a bad boy who cared less about work and wanted to just party all the time. When it came to the arts, he would leave his talents out the window and just waist it on the party lifestyle. We've had numerous arguments, which led to break ups and make ups for three whole years. It was completely difficult to deal with on an emotional level.


Then one night, I remember us sitting outside on the balcony at a gay bar. We cuddled with my head on his heart and he said "It's very obvious, don't you think? It's obvious that we are not a good match. You're good enough for me. I'm good enough for you. But we will never be complete as a couple because we are never meant to be a couple. So why not we stay in this relationship, knowing that we will never be truly happy? Be a good enough person for each other."


Obviously, you would walk away from it. However, I was so afraid of being alone, I stayed with him for a couple of more months. Admittingly, we were never happy. I dealt with the fights and arguments. I dealt with the fact that there was never going to be a happy future. It was an ultimate good enough relationship between two teenagers.

Our relationship ended when he left the state and didn't tell me that he left or where he was going. In the beginning, I was incredibly sad. Now that I look back, I'm glad it happened. It was a sign telling me that I didn't have to settle for a good enough relationship. Not only was I was going to be happy as a single man, but when I do get into another relationship, the two of us were going to accept and love one another completely, and never be each other's good enough.

I'm Smart In Friendships, But A Rookie In Relationships

I think it's something that a few of us aren't honest about. I'm not afraid to admit it. It's all apart of the journey. I'm smart in friendships, but still a rookie when it comes to relationships.

It's quite hard for some people to hear that from someone like me. When they look at me, they see a person who is incredibly talented, intelligent beyond his years, and has an incredibly bright future ahead of him. They see me receiving accolades from various things ranging from my creative work to philanthropy projects. All of those visions come from just looking at me. So it shocks people when I tell them that I don't have a boyfriend.

Well I hate to break it to everyone. It's not always that easy.

Growing up, my main goal in life was to look for people that would give me true love and acceptance. I never really aimed that towards relationships at that time. It was always friendships. When you're an outcast in school and the black sheep in your entire family, it becomes somewhat of an obligation to find true friendships. So that's what I did. I was looking for friends to love me for who I am. This was my life's mission. 

Now that I've managed to maintain wonderful friendships, this dating thing is kind of still new to me. Even though I've been in six relationships from ages 14-19, I still feel like a rookie. I think that's partially why each of those relationships were on and off. I didn't want to go towards new people. I wanted to stay in my circle and be with the people I knew personally. Of course, I've realized that it's not a good idea. When it's over, it's over.

It's been a year and a half that I've been single, which is something I haven't done since I started dating when I was fourteen. The time I've spent by myself made reevaluate my life and I came to this conclusion when it comes to relationships. I'm still interested in dating. I was born in the fall, the most romantic season of the year. But I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a little scared and incredibly nervous about meeting someone.

Aren't You Tired Of Being The Caller?

I remember writing a post many months ago about making the call to your best friends. I considered it a wonderful thing to do if you want to maintain your friendship. You don't have to wait for the other person, so that things can progress. If one of you guys aren't calling each other, you have to take action to call the other person. It's time to stop waiting and take action.

But doesn't there come a time when you've done dialing?

I am one of those people who calls his friends all the time. I'm a friendaholic. I care about my friends a lot, and I want to keep our friendship strong and together forever. It's incredibly important to me. But after making the call numerous times, I'm starting to see a pattern. I call my friends and my don't friends call me. Whenever I ask them why they haven't called me back, they always respond by saying "I was waiting for you to do that."

It's like they automatically put me on this platform and are secretly calling me "The Caller", which is someone you wait for to call you. It's never vice-versa. I'm the person that they expect to dial their numbers on my cell phone and call them.

I don't know about you, but I consider it ridiculous. Why do I have to be the caller? Why don't you call me? Dial me for my love the same way I do when it comes to you. 

I love my friends, but there comes a time when I'm done calling them. I want them to start calling me instead of me being the primary dialer. Aren't you tired of the same thing?

Are You Still The Same Person From High School?

I don't think of high school that much. The memories of those four years are slipping away by the minute. It's kind of weird when you think about it. People say that high school is supposed to scar you for life whether it's good or bad. And yet, here I am, not really affected by high school.

All I remember is being that silent, still kind, shy person that was hardly talking to anyone. I was very private about my life due to my dysfunctional family, being bullied because I was the guy who was into technology and glee club instead of sports, and the struggle to accept my sexuality. I wasn't open about my life at all. It was a very difficult time.

I was not only on a journey towards accepting myself, but also looking for true friendships and true love. Everybody knows that when you break up with someone in high school, it feels like the end of the world. I sure had my share of those relationships and went through the emotions. The same thing applies to friendships.

Then once graduation was slowly approaching, I began to change. It all started when I sat down in a chair and said to myself "Do you love yourself? Do you accept everything about yourself as a gay man who loves glee club and computers? And do you give a damn about what others think about you?"

It was then that I became the person I am now. I am now this confident, calm, kind person who is completely open about his life. I am letting out all of this large amount of natural energy every day. I am now not afraid to tell people my stories. I even make a living writing and talking about my funny life. Ain't that a coincidence?

By the time graduation even came, everyone knew that I was different. I was still kind and friendly to everyone, but they knew I had this fiery temper if you pushed my buttons to the limit. I can deal with a lot of things. I have tough skin and a large amount of patience. However, if I am pushed to the max (and I'm talking about days of dealing with crap), that's when I explode. And back in school, if I exploded, everyone noticed it. My balls grew bigger and I knew how to use them.

When I look back at the person I was, I don't even see him anymore. He is fading away completely. I always thought that I would still be that same person. Not the depressed man, but the quiet, private person who wouldn't want to talk to anybody about his life. The only thing that's the same about me is that I'm still the shy type. I can't help it. It's stuck with me.

After years of leaving those four years behind, are you still that same person from high school?

Has Your Best Friend Become Your Career?

Are you the best friend? I am not talking about the ordinary best friend. I am talking about "the" best friend.

In life, we are given this one best friend who sort of have became your brother/sister. There is no conflict. There is no arguing. Whenever you guys hang out, you're enjoying each other's company and having a good time. Life can be very difficult sometimes. Sometimes, all you need is your best friend's voice to calm you down. You can vent until your body loses 80% of it's blood and your best friend will still be there on the other line.

Of course, there comes a time when arguing and disagreements occurs between your friendship. Life is not 100% positive. But if your friendship bond is that strong, you can overcome whatever comes your way.

Once you've realized you have a tight bond you begin to realize something else. You look closely at everything you are doing in your everyday life. If more than 60% of your life is surrounding your best friend you begin to worry if your life is being truly consumed by the needs of your significant other. They will call you at 4 o'clock in the morning asking for a favor. Even though it's early to be doing anything around that time, you will get out of bed and still do it. Because that is how much of a best friend you are. Before you know it, you are getting more than a dozen phone calls from that person and 50% of them revolves around doing favors.

In life, we count on our best friends to do everything for us. They come over to your sleepovers. They come to the club together. If you are that experimental you might even invite them for a threesome. But when do you take a second and realize that you've sacrificed a large portion of your life to be there for your best friend.

When it comes to friendships, has your best friend become your career?

Unprotected Sex Should Never Be A Fantasy For Porn Stars To Peform In Real Life

This is a subject that I can't shake. It's something that's been driving me crazy.

Two weeks ago, a wrote an article for MUSED Magazine about a law that was passed in California that legally requires porn stars to wear condoms if they're going to be acting in adult films. You know what that means? It means that you are longer going to see porn stars perform unprotected sex on film in the state of California.

From the way it sounds, it appears to be a good thing. HIV/AIDS is still a big topic when it comes to sex. There are discoveries of new STDS like HPV for example, which an individual could get from having oral sex. The 21st century is becoming a time when we really have to take care of ourselves. As the world is evolving, we have to be prepared for these new things that are putting our well beings to the challenge. That's why I support this law in California.

There are those that obviously don't agree with me. Some production companies that make adult films are now planning on leaving the country in order to make the unprotected sex films they want to make. They feel the monthly checkups for HIV every 30 days is good enough for them.

I went over to MUSED Magazine's Twitter account when the creator asked readers the question before he publicly posted the article. The responses were split in half. The people that responded negatively said that the law shouldn't have been made. This law shouldn't be legal because it ruins their fantasy. Just because they don't want to have sex with the porn stars in the real life doesn't mean that they don't want to watch actual unprotected sex on film.

After reading the negative responses to the bill, I felt sad and disgusted. The fact that they care less about the porn star's health and more about fulfilling their sexual needs is repugnant.

I personally have no problem with the porn industry. I truthfully watch porn at least once a week. Some of my friends are friends with people who does porn. It's a part of our world that is difficult to separate. I don't watch films that has the actors having unprotected sex. I don't care if it's a fantasy. At the end of the day, these are real life people who are putting themselves at risk. It's ridiculous for the actors to risk their lives just to film something that the majority of people don't watch completely.

Let's be real everyone. When was the last time you heard that someone ejaculated after watching all the videos in one DVD?

I care about porn stars and their health. So I don't care if it's a fantasy of yours. Unprotected sex should never a fantasy for porn stars to perform in real life.

Check Out MUSED Magazine!

I am so excited. I can't believe that this is happening. I have been keeping this a secret from all of ya'll. So I am very excited to be announcing this to all of ya'll. But I'm sure you guys knew about this. I was promoting it days before the launch. 

I was hired weeks ago as a daily writer for MUSED Magazine, an online men's magazine that just launched on midnight. This magazine is all about giving men a voice. Whether you're gay or straight, this magazine is for you. When I look at this magazine, it kind of reminds me of how Gloria Steinem started Ms. back in 1971. This magazine is going to change the way people think of men, and most importantly, let our voices be heard. The stories that hasn't been told regarding men, it all starts here with MUSED. 

You will see articles written by me on a daily basis in this magazine. I will be writing features about our everyday lives, and also news and entertainment stories. My journalism skills are really going to be put to the test in this. There are some tasks given to me that is going to be really challenging, but I am all for it.

I really hope you guys will add this magazine to your daily newspapers and magazines. I am so proud to be a part of this project. Also, spread the word if you can about it. This magazine is for everyone. Male and female. Click on the picture to read the articles written by me along with many other talented writers.

Are Naked Pictures Still A Turn On?

The one thing that I still find unusual is my relationship with older people. I've made friends with a lot of older people, even though they know I don't want to be in a relationship with them. I'm the type of person that wants to grow with someone and spend a long time with them. It's somewhat of a turnoff for me when I see a 50 year old male trying to make a pass at me. But still, I maintain my friendship with them.

One day, I ran into another one of my older friends. His name is Troy. I was walking around the city, looking for a good story to write about. He was a hosting a Mardi Gras event that was being held at the Ritz Carlton hotel. He still has a crush on me, but he doesn't go ahead with it. He understands that we are better off as friends.

During our conversation, he revealed to me that he is hooking up with this 30 year old male. He admits to going through multiple sexual adventures with him. He lived out every fantasy in his head because of his buddy. Then all of a sudden, he took out his cell phone and showed me a naked picture of this man.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" he asked me.

Due to my observant self, I looked down and saw that Troy was getting very excited just by looking at a naked picture of this man. However, I looked at the picture and was instantly turned off. Here was this fine African American male with his manhood in full display, but I wasn't excited. I was actually more turned on by Troy than the picture.

I looked up and said to Troy "Is it a video?"

For me, I am more turned on by watching a video and completely turned off by a picture. After seeing all these stars with these leaked pictures coming at least once a month, it becomes somewhat tiring to see just a naked picture. I sometimes want more. Looking at a body part frozen in time doesn't work for me anymore.

After this realization about myself, I can't help but wonder. Are naked pictures still a turn on?

Continue To Vote For Roque Caston And His Blog "Roque's Reality" At The 2012 Weblog Awards

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a great time. 2012 is still new and I love every minute of it. For everyone that knows me as the Saturday contributor here on The Future Forward website, I have something to share with you guys. Some amazing news has been announced a few days ago and I hope all you faithful readers are going to be a part of it.

The twelfth annual Weblog Awards opened its nominations on January 1st, 2012. This is an awards show that has recognized a wide variety of bloggers for the past twelve years. No matter what type of blogger you are, there is a category for you. Religion, Sports, Politics, Food, Humor, there is a category for everyone. 

I just nominated my popular comedy blog "Roque's Reality" for the Weblog awards under these five categories.

1. Best LGBT Blog
2. Best Topical Weblog
3. Most Humorous Weblog
4. Best Writing Of A Weblog
5. Best Kept Secret Weblog

This is something I've never done before. I've never nominated my blog in the whole four years I've been doing this. But when I found out about this amazing opportunity, I felt my blog deserved to be up there. Not just for me, but to my faithful readers as well. The readers of my blog and here on The Future Forward website of course, tell me all the time that they relate to my stories whether it's funny or serious. Here I am, a 20 year old, incredibly smart, African-American openly gay male, who lives a humorous and positive life that people can laugh and relate to openly and honestly. My stories keeps them entertained and they always tell me to never stop writing my stories.

That's the feedback I love. The fact that people love reading about my life. No matter who they are or what they are, they all consider me a part of their family. I have friends of almost every culture, race, gender, and sexual orientation. I love everyone and I show it all the time. It inspires me to convince more people to come read "Roque's Reality" and get the same reaction you guys do. I want to entertain you guys with my stories till the day I die. Better yet, even after I die, I'm sure there will be some unpublished manuscripts lying somewhere with my name on it. Whether you're reading my blog, a book I hope to have published someday, an article from a magazine, I want to always put a smile on your face and make you live a positive life.

Due to that, I'm asking for your help. I want you guys to not only vote for my blog yourselves, but I also want you to spread the word and tell people to vote for "Roque's Reality" in the same categories at the Weblog Awards. I want to get this blog to be at least nominated. I don't care about winning. The fact that more people will know about my blog is better than any award in my opinion. My Future Forward family has joined the band wagon and are helping me get the word out You should too!

Here is the link to my blog
http://www.roquesreality.com/ 

This is the link to the voting registry. All you have to do is go down and fill out three blogs under the five categories I listed above.
http://2012.bloggi.es/ 

Voting ends on January 15th. So we have to do this quickly. I have faith in each of my readers. I love every single one of my readers and I'll continue to write more stories just for you guys. You guys are my friends. So to my friends, please vote for "Roque's Reality" at the 2012 Weblog Awards.

Vote For Roque Caston And His Blog "Roque's Reality" At The 2012 Weblog Awards

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a great time. 2012 is still new and I love every minute of it. For everyone that knows me as the Saturday contributor here on The Future Forward website, I have something to share with you guys. Some amazing news has been announced a few days ago and I hope all you faithful readers are going to be a part of it.

The twelfth annual Weblog Awards opened its nominations on January 1st, 2012. This is an awards show that has recognized a wide variety of bloggers for the past twelve years. No matter what type of blogger you are, there is a category for you. Religion, Sports, Politics, Food, Humor, there is a category for everyone. 

I just nominated my popular comedy blog "Roque's Reality" for the Weblog awards under these five categories.

1. Best LGBT Blog
2. Best Topical Weblog
3. Most Humorous Weblog
4. Best Writing Of A Weblog
5. Best Kept Secret Weblog

This is something I've never done before. I've never nominated my blog in the whole four years I've been doing this. But when I found out about this amazing opportunity, I felt my blog deserved to be up there. Not just for me, but to my faithful readers as well. The readers of my blog and here on The Future Forward website of course, tell me all the time that they relate to my stories whether it's funny or serious. Here I am, a 20 year old, incredibly smart, African-American openly gay male, who lives a humorous and positive life that people can laugh and relate to openly and honestly. My stories keeps them entertained and they always tell me to never stop writing my stories.

That's the feedback I love. The fact that people love reading about my life. No matter who they are or what they are, they all consider me a part of their family. I have friends of almost every culture, race, gender, and sexual orientation. I love everyone and I show it all the time. It inspires me to convince more people to come read "Roque's Reality" and get the same reaction you guys do. I want to entertain you guys with my stories till the day I die. Better yet, even after I die, I'm sure there will be some unpublished manuscripts lying somewhere with my name on it. Whether you're reading my blog, a book I hope to have published someday, an article from a magazine, I want to always put a smile on your face and make you live a positive life.

Due to that, I'm asking for your help. I want you guys to not only vote for my blog yourselves, but I also want you to spread the word and tell people to vote for "Roque's Reality" in the same categories at the Weblog Awards. I want to get this blog to be at least nominated. I don't care about winning. The fact that more people will know about my blog is better than any award in my opinion. My Future Forward family has joined the band wagon and are helping me get the word out You should too!

Here is the link to my blog
http://www.roquesreality.com/ 

This is the link to the voting registry. All you have to do is go down and fill out three blogs under the five categories I listed above.
http://2012.bloggi.es/ 

Voting ends on January 15th. So we have to do this quickly. I have faith in each of my readers. I love every single one of my readers and I'll continue to write more stories just for you guys. You guys are my friends. So to my friends, please vote for "Roque's Reality" at the 2012 Weblog Awards.